George Frederick Harding
Encyclopedia
George Frederick Harding JP
(1858 – 8 July 1927) was an English
-born international rugby union
player who played club rugby for Newport and international rugby for Wales
. Harding was a member of the very first Wales international team that faced England in 1881.
in 1881, the Welsh team were humiliated in a crushing defeat to a far more organised and prepared English team. Harding was reselected for the very next Welsh game, one of only four players to keep their place, the others being Charlie Newman
, Frank Purdon
and William David Phillips
. Played away from home at Lansdowne Road
against Ireland
and under the captaincy of Charles Lewis
, Wales won the game two goals and two tries to nil. Harding played in the next two matches for Wales, a second loss to England, and the first ever game against Scotland, which also ended in a loss.
Harding's brother Theo
also played for Newport and also represented Wales at international level.
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
(1858 – 8 July 1927) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player who played club rugby for Newport and international rugby for Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. Harding was a member of the very first Wales international team that faced England in 1881.
Rugby career
Harding first played rugby for Newport in 1877 during the founding years of the club. His first international cap for Wales was also the very first international game in which Wales had competed. Played at BlackheathBlackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
in 1881, the Welsh team were humiliated in a crushing defeat to a far more organised and prepared English team. Harding was reselected for the very next Welsh game, one of only four players to keep their place, the others being Charlie Newman
Charlie Newman
Charlie Newman was a Welsh international three-quarter who played club rugby for Newport. He was awarded ten caps for Wales and captained the team on six occasions. An original member of the Newport squad he captained the team in the 1882/83 season.-Personal life:Newman was born Newport in 1857 to...
, Frank Purdon
Frank Purdon
Frank Thomas Purdon was an Irish-born rugby union forward who played club rugby for Newport and Swansea. Purdon was capped four times for Wales including the very first Wales international, against England in 1881.-Rugby career:...
and William David Phillips
William David Phillips
William David Phillips was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cardiff Rugby Football Club and international rugby for Wales...
. Played away from home at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
against Ireland
1881-82 Home Nations rugby union matches
The 1881-82 Home Nations rugby union matches are a series of international friendlies held between the England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales national rugby union teams. This was the last season before the introduction of the Home Nations Championship and was the last time the teams involved faced...
and under the captaincy of Charles Lewis
Charles Lewis (rugby player)
Charles Prytherch Lewis was a Welsh international rugby union player, who won five caps between 1882 and 1884.-Life:...
, Wales won the game two goals and two tries to nil. Harding played in the next two matches for Wales, a second loss to England, and the first ever game against Scotland, which also ended in a loss.
Harding's brother Theo
Theo Harding
Charles Theodore 'Theo' Harding was an English-born international rugby union player who played club rugby for Newport and international rugby for Wales...
also played for Newport and also represented Wales at international level.